Full Heat

Full Heat

Full-Heat Syndromes aren’t often seen in the West in the TCM Clinic. Originally, the Syndrome described what we would now call an infectious disease.

A person with a strong constitution, that is, someone robust, with lots of energy, will manifest full heat when they get sick. The body’s response to disease means that the course of the disease is usually short. In the past, the person would get better quickly, or die. Now, of course, they’ll be given antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, which are stronger than TCM treatments.

Some older men manifest Full-Heat as well. Their high level of energy and strong appetites mean that they build up more and more heat. As they work harder, they eat and drink more to keep going. The classic hypertensive, with a red face, a pounding pulse, and an impatient nature, manifests Full-Heat.

If the Full-Heat is the result of long-term inflammation or alcohol and caffeine abuse, anti-inflammatories and steroids are not a long-term solution.

In addition to lifestyle changes, acupuncture, herbal therapy, and in some cases, psychotherapy, bitter greens and other foods can be helpful. Red meat and caffeine drinks should be eliminated. People with excessive heat can fast with juices or eat raw foods for a short period of time to detoxify.

*Curcuma, known as Jiang Huang in TCM herbal therapy, is a strong anti-inflammatory which also has anti-cancer properties. As David Servan-Schreiber Md, explains in his book, “Das Antikrebs-Buch”, curcuma can’t be absorbed well unless it’s consumed with pepper and a little oil (as in a traditional Indian curry.)
** Umeboshi is a type of pickled plum from Japan. Vital Punkt on St. Leonhardstrasse sells Lima Ume Su seasoning.